The Charger comes standardly equipped with ergonomically thin, semi-rigid brake handles, including swivels, neodymium magnets, and soft loop extensions. The risers feature two pulley settings for low or high brakes depending on your paramotor. Wing tip steering handles are held in position using elastic lines and can be secured to the risers by either neodymium magnets or with press button snaps.

MAC PARA Charger - A wing that you can learn with, enjoy long flights and not grow out of it fast.

Testpilot: Lauri Kadakas

The Charger and the setup

I had the pleasure of testing out the MAC PARA Charger Paramotor glider. The Glider I used was 25m2 for weight range 100-137kg. It an EN B wing, so I expected it to be quite easy to handle. I was testing the wing with HRP220 engine, High hangpoints and All-up weight was around 120kg.

Overall construction

The overall construction for the charger seems really solid. Also it has leading edge rods for easy inflation.Lines are nice and thick, risers are also on the wider end of the scope, but everything seems and feels very solid. Wing itself is in the middle weight range - not heavy, not light. Tip steering toggles are placed nicely in the bottom of the risers, just above carabiner connection, so even with high hangpoint, they are easily reachable. There are 2 pulleys and 2 magnets for brake setup for pilots to choose accordingly for their hangpoint.

Initial kiting

Initial inflation was very easy. With wind round 2m/s, the Charger just wanted to pop up and stay there. Even with smaller gusts, the wing felt really good and while kiting, the brake response was smooth. It does not react as rapidly to initial brake input as higher performance wings, so it makes the Charger suitable also for students to learn kiting.

Takeoff - Forward and reverse

On forward launch, the Charger came nicely up. The wing gives sufficient feedback to the harness, to know exactly where wing is. Just a small pull on the Aâs and the wing just popped up in low wind conditions. Reverse launch was also just a pleasure. Wing came up nicely, stayed stable overhead. Brake input again is nice and smooth and wing does exactly what is told, without overreacting. There is not much difference getting wing up with fully closed trims or slightly opened. The wing just comes up anyways. When already running, the wing just wants to lift you off the ground. On a slight brake input, I was off the ground, fast.

The XC Flight

To get a bit acquainted with Charger, I first it For a XC Flight. Takeoff was easy, doesn't need much power to get off the ground. Same goes for climbout.

The trims give Charger a healthy speed range and while using the speedbar, the wing has a very decent penetration ability even with light to moderate headwind. In the afternoon thermals, the wing was very stable. With trims closed to neutral, the wing has very good sink rate, so thou the thermals were dying off, I still managed to get some lift from that. On a cruise with the tip-steering, I can just sit back, relax and enjoy the flight - all turbulence was handled by the glider and not much input from me was required.

Active Flight

After the XC flight was done and the thermals had died off and air was stable, it was time to try a bit more active piloting, slalom around the hay-balls and test different aspects of the glider. On both sharp and smooth turns, the brakes give good feedback. The turning is smooth and on exit, the glider achieves straight stable flying path fast - not much roll while exiting turns. With trims-out using tip-steering fast and relatively (for the wing this size) sharp turns can be achieved. For slalom flying, I would prefer a smaller and more agile wing. Doing spirals, the exiting is spontaneous. Very fast and no input required. Big-ears is easy and on release, the wingtips recovered fast without needing brake input. B-stall was easy and stable. WIng didn't turn mutch and recovery was spontaneous and fast.

Landing

Landing the Charger could not be much easier. Coming in for a straight landing, trims in, the landing and flare was very easy and soft. Brake feedback is excellent. Executing a short dive, to build up energy before landing ,gave excellent, long flare that needed surprisingly little input from my side. - After initiating the flare, it almost felt like wing was saying âjust sit back, I got thisâ.

Conclusion

Charger is a excellent wing for someone who is just starting to paramotor, or who is looking for a good wing for nice calm flights. The wings agility and speed range insures that pilots don't grow out of this wing too fast. The wing has very good stability and feedback, making it just enjoyable to fly.

Overall conclusion: Good, safe and stable wing. It was everything that I expected from the wing.

The Czech manufacturer Mac Para has been strong in the paramotor world for years, with multipurpose models for beginners like the Eden series âa free flight wing available with paramotor risersâ, more advanced reflex models like the MacJet (which we tested a few years ago), or the amazing T-Ride, the paramotor tandem glider with the best handling we have flown so far. The Charger is their new offer containing all the âknow-howâ in a beginner-to-progression glider that it is easy to fly and has remarkable performance.

The Charger is a reflex model with thick profiles, aspect ratio of 5.14, 46 cells and high-quality internal construction with extreme care for details. It has diagonal ribs, load bearing system, miniribs, rods in the leading edge and Mylar reinforcements. Certified EN B, it is also a very easy and safe paraglider for free flight. We liked the visual proposal of this paraglider because it is a twist on the classical aesthetic of Mac Para, with stripes and curves added in a three-color design.

The Charger has superb definition, the finishes are impeccable, with clean leading edge free of wrinkles, in addition to an ever tense line of the trailing edge. The canopy design is on a different line, it has personality with a touch between elegant and sportive.

Weight ranges

We tested the Charger in size 28 (113-160 kgs). We flew footlaunched in the middle of the weight range, with total load in flight of 145 Kg. In this configuration the glider is absolutely solid, contained in all its axes, and with very smooth handling. Flying paratrike at the top of the range, loaded with 160 kg, the sense of aplomb remains intact but the wing offers more speed and some improvement in the handling.

School-level inflation

This is one of the strong points of the Charger: even the most novice pilots will manage to control their take-offs after a little practice. Just push the âAâ risers without releasing until the wing goes up to the vertical, and if we have been progressive with the throttle, we will not even need to hold the glider as it will stay centered, keeping the pressure and direction. Although it is a fast reflex wing, once the Charger is above the head in the takeoff run we can assist with the brakes to make the run short and easy.

Solid and efficient for covering miles

Safety and solidity stand out over other qualities of the Charger, mainly thanks to its reflex profiles. But it turns out that the profiles design is also efficient in slow mode so it does not require too much engine to take off and stay in level flight. If we open the trimmer and step on the speedbar to the top we will need almost all the power of the engine; at least that was my experience flying on paratrike with a C-Max 175 engine with a total load in flight of 175 kg, which is not bad. Footlaunched flying asks for less throttle, of course.

Minicontrols

The Charger has a couple of mini-controls placed strategically low, almost at the height of the carabiners. These are used when we release the trimmer and put the wing in reflex mode, to steer the glider â instead of using the brakes. It is done this way because the use of the main brakes âdeactivateâ the reflex, making the glider (any reflex glider) more prone to collapses. They work great, with just a gesture and two to three centimeters of travel, we can keep the course and do minor corrections. At the beginning I thought that they were maybe too low, but after trying them in flight I found them to be very well thought out. For long flights, they are comfortable and effective. As the hands can be kept on a lower position they are less exposed to wind (cold), and it is also better for circulation.

Speed within everyoneâs reach

I got very good records for a paraglider aimed at pilots since they begin in the sport: Hands free and with the trimmer in neutral, the Charger goes up to 45 Km/h; if we release trimmers we get close to 52 Km/h. The reflex works perfectly and, together with the design concept of the Charger, it gives great consistency to the glider. When we squeezed the throttle we reached +62 Km/h, a couple of km/h more with the paratrike and with no need to use all the thrust (but almost) of the Cisco C-Max 175 engine we used.

Handling

In terms of piloting, the Charger is really easy to fly and indulgent from the inflation on. It offers mild enough reactions for pilots since entry level. In spite of this it is not a dull wing nor does it lack excitement, as it has plenty of gradations to enjoy smooth and precise turns.

The Charger has progressive control and good touch, although the travel is long making it difficult to over-control. After releasing the brakes the Charger wants to go back to its neutral flying position by itself.

The trimmers are easy to adjust, and the speed system is short, soft and fully usable. If we want to fly fast there are the mini-controls that are very efficient to keep the flight direction. This and the Chargerâs qualities of solidity, speed and sink rate, make it a good airship for navigations and strolls.

Ground control is good both doing front or back inflations, as the entire process happens âslowlyâ and it is easy to understand. The glider is stable on all axes and once over your head it can be controlled with little effort; it does not show any tendency to lag behind or shift to the side so, in general, it is easy to handle â also on paratrike.

Personality

This progression glider boasts a particular design: the canopy has flat arch on the centre, with wingtips that go down sharply on the sides; a design style that offers a wide area of lift and high directional stability. This configuration makes the Charger a very interesting choice for any type of navigation.

Turn and maneuverability

The brake of the Charger is smooth, progressive and very, very longâ¦ This glider has a calling for serene leisure flight and puts emphasis on stability and security. Its fluid turn is more âaeronauticalâ than pendular, drawing wide traces but in a slow and smooth way; zero stress. The more daring pilots may want to take a loop (or two) on the brakes and put some effort on them to achieve more playful turns with a sportive touch. But, definitely, if freestyle is your thing then this paraglider is not for you.

For whom?

This reflex wing is aimed at a wide scope of pilots, since they take up the sport! It is a perfect glider to progress on thanks to its school-level inflation, dampened reactions and high passive safety. Nevertheless, its good speeds and solidity make it also attractive to pilots who are already experienced, and want to go out in navigations and raids at good speeds but without stress.

Conclusion

A paraglider with the accent on safety, the Charger offers bomb-proof reflex stability and solidity. It offers training-level take off behavior and, though the brake travel is long, it also has good handling and flowing turns. The general performance is quite good; on one side, it has good sink rate in slow flight so it does not require much thrust for short takeoffs and navigation at low gas. And on the other hand, it has a remarkable speed range that reaches 62 â 65 km/h. The best of the Charger is its ease of use and the confidence it inspires the pilot.

Jeff Goin tries out the new Charger, a full reflex wing aimed at newer pilots.

Mac Paraâs new Charger adds a unique capability to their lineup. In the realm of pilot desires, it scratches several interesting itches, primarily a desire to go faster with the safety of a reflex and the easier ground handling of a beginner planform. Less common would be for a budding competition pilot.Tim Kaiser and I flew a 21m2 version in light winds on Top 80 Miniplanes. Warmish light wind gave way to a near calm by sunset, which let us sample various wind conditions. I'm no acro guy so there was nothing fancier than moderate wingovers, slow flight, brief spirals, footdrags, and plain old fashioned play. I tried all the various configurations of trimmers, speedbar and tip steering.With motor, a sandwich and fuel, my clip- in weight barely passed 95kg giving me a wing loading of about 4.5kg/m2 (10 lbs) which is a bit heavier than most pilots fly.The glider has all the modern treatments that help with inflation and glide ratio, not that Mac Para gliders really need any help with inflation but small improvements are still appreciated. Having those fancy nylon tube leading edges does mean youâll want to keep them from getting bent. You can stuff it as usual but donât use it for a body chair. Most pilots do some form of accordion fold to preserve those rib stiffeners.

Inflation

It was very easy to launch - very easy. Light wind reverses, where backwards walking is needed, were easy. Even after letting it fall back slightly, it would recover overhead nicely once we scored some thrust. Trimmers were set about an inch from full slow. Walking backwards like this is not a technique I would recommend - forward inflation makes more sense - but we wanted to see how it behaved. It shined. Most wings can be reversed this way, but easier inflators tolerate less finesse. In general, if you canât kite while standing still, itâs probably better to do a forward.Mac Para have always shone here which is good for motor pilots who frequently face flat ground, soft sand, and no wind. We all appreciate a wing that pops up smartly when trying to accelerate through the soft, superfine sand thatâs endemic on some of Earthâs coolest beach locations. It can be nearly impossible to get a sluggish wing overhead when running in that stuff.Inflation characteristics are important for mountain flyers but in a different way. Namely, models that inflate nicely in still air tend to overshoot and front tuck in strong winds on hills. Proper technique can easily overcome that, of course, but itâs something to be aware of - the flip side of easy inflations.

Groundhandling

Youâll love the groundhandling. Itâs got that beginner-looking chord, thick front to back, that lets even heavy-handed corrections work. If it falls off to one side during inflation youâre more likely to keep it together while bringing it back in line. Thatâs nice for dealing with confined areas where you may not be able to side step. Higher aspect models tend to stall a tip before obeying your more ardent commands.

Inflight handling

Not surprisingly, given my heavyish loading, handling was pretty spry. A bit more subdued than some of their other models, but light and comfortably responsive, a fun ride. Any pilot who is willing to accept the higher speeds of launch and landing will enjoy the feel.Tip-steering toggles are well positioned for easy grabbing but it was actually more natural to go for the tip-steering lines themselves. Youâll enjoy the toggles more for cruising around since theyâre down at a lower, more comfortable hand position. Theyâre good for high speed cruising with the trimmers fast or on speedbar but work equally well trimmed slow. In turbulence, most pilots will want to trim slow and use the main brakes but some prefer to set the trimmers fast and let the reflex do its thing. In that case use the tip toggles for steering but always do whatever the pilot manual recommends.Brake handles employ an adjustable second loop that you can size to your own liking which is nice but make sure it canât get into your cage. Fabric covered magnets work as brake-keepers so iron dust isnât a problem. I like this method the most - snaps were kinda hard to remove and the old-style magnets collected iron dust. The only downside is how they like to stick in the wrong places.Tip toggles ingeniously incorporate two methods of containment - old fashioned snaps and fabric-coated magnets. Have it your way. If you prefer tip-steering on the lines, leave them snapped to keep everything a bit cleaner.I did not notice any left-right oscillation, which is saying something because at these heavier loadings oscillation is kind of common. I donât even mind because corrections are minimal but still, itâs nice to have it mind the line.

Speed

I didnât get to do a speed test but judging from the ground run itâs gonna be pretty quick for its size. Itâs not the fastest but you shouldnât be trailing the pack, either. As always, avoid using main brakes when fully accelerated. It has effective tip-steering that stays firm without any tendency for the tips to flutter or collapse.Speaking of ground run, have your shoelaces tied; itâs pretty quick and will benefit from a healthy brake pull to lift off. Thatâs true of this class; these wings arenât the big boaty boys of yore - youâll need to fly it off the ground. Of course this is only if youâre flying it heavy like I did. Otherwise the extra speed will be less pronounced.Obviously landing will be pretty quick, too, but the upside of high efficiency is that it lets you finesse the flare. I did most of my landings power off and had great fun skimming the ground while bleeding its energy with increasing brake.I dabbled with heavy brake to see how well I could slow down and pulled quite hard with no tendency of a tip to go back. Any more pulling and I would have wanted to be at an SIV clinic but this was a helpful thing to know.

Final thoughts

Pilots looking for more speed or a good introduction to reflex technology will enjoy this wing. Even if they never go on to compete, it provides a good measure of what flying higher performance rides will be like. At heavier loadings, like any wing really, it would not be ideal as a pilotâs first glider but thatâs a question more for the buyer and their instructor.For those wanting to step into reflex technology without all the skinny wing weirdness that accompanies some of the hotter competition models, this is perfect. Treat it with respect, especially during the honeymoon phase, and youâll likely enjoy a lasting, satisfying relationship.